Tabriz, the storied signature fundraiser for the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts (AMFA), will return to the museum this spring for the first time since 2017. The April glittering gala will capture the spirit of AMFA’s featured exhibition “Rivera’s Paris,” showcasing this stunning slice of Diego Rivera’s life in detail, while also honoring the event’s 50-year history.
Mary Olive and John Stephens are serving as co-chairs for the Tabriz revival and are no strangers to the museum, both having personal history with the Arkansas Arts Center, AMFA’s precursor, reaching back to their childhood.
“My parents had me enrolled in Arts Center classes as soon as I was old enough to take them,” Mary Olive says. “I have this one vivid memory of hearing my first ghost story in a drama class. We sat around in a circle together on the stage with the lights turned off. I didn’t sleep for several weeks afterward as a result,” she shares with a laugh.
After a stint out of state, the Stephenses moved back to Little Rock in 2020 as AMFA was in the midst of a full-scale renovation, and naturally, Mary Olive wanted to again get involved with the museum. In addition to her work on Tabriz, she serves on the board of trustees and is currently spearheading an initiative to engage the next generation of museum patrons.
“I work on something AMFA-related every single day, and I wouldn’t want it any other way,” she says. “It’s extremely fulfilling to me.”
John has his own memories of growing up with the museum.
“I remember trying out for a play and getting a callback and being really excited,” John says. Alas, the first practices coincided with an already-planned spring break trip, “so my acting career came to a sudden end.”
But aside from his abbreviated stint on the stage, John grew up observing his parents Harriet and Warren Stephens support the museum his entire life, including serving as capital campaign co-chairs, building committee chair and foundation board chair during the recent renovation.
“My mom and dad have been involved in various capacities at the Arkansas Arts Center, now AMFA, for a long time,” he says.
Now parents themselves, Mary Olive and John have introduced their own children to the museum.
“It’s such a full circle moment for us because, as children, we grew up going to the Arts Center, and now our own children are growing up going to AMFA,” Mary Olive says. “It’s pretty surreal.”
Two decades ago, John’s parents were also the co-chairs of Tabriz. It’s an especially poignant stroke of purpose, giving the Stephenses invaluable mentorship from both fellow co-chairs and passionate, long-time supporters of the museum. It’s a resource made even more vital for an event marked with momentous firsts. This will not only be Mary Olive and John’s first Tabriz, but also the first held in AMFA’s stunningly transformed home in McArthur Park that reopened in 2023.
Credit: Jason Masters
“DOS MUJERES (TWO WOMEN)” BY DIEGO RIVERA, 1914, OIL ON CANVAS, 77 3/4 X 63 1/2. Arguably the iconic painter’s most important cubist work, “Dos Mujeres (Two Women)” was a gift from Abby Rockefeller Mauzé and is part of the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Foundation Collection.
To help with the planning process, AMFA executive director and fellow first-time Tabriz attendee Dr. Victoria Ramirez combed through old photographs, print materials and invites from past events.
“Here’s really one of the most telling and powerful parts of the legacy of Tabriz: Many of the past chairs are still involved in the museum,” she says. “Many of them supported the capital campaign, many of them still support us annually. It says something about how special this museum is to those individuals. And one of the things that struck me was just how community-driven Tabriz is.”
To properly carry this event into the future, the Stephenses wanted to make sure they fully honored its past.
“We have had so much fun digging into all the archives and learning about its history,” Mary Olive says, noting that doing the extra research, including interviews with former chairs, has helped shape the event for 2025.
“I think for people who are familiar with the event, they’ll really feel like the legacy is back. And then for those who are brand new, they’ll be able to enjoy the very first event in this building,” Ramirez says.
Per tradition, Tabriz will be held as a two-evening event on Thursday and Saturday. Historically (and unofficially), Thursday night’s event was referred to as “Hot Dog and Beer Night” because “volunteers would quite literally walk around serving hot dogs and beer,” smiles Mary Olive. “One of [Harriet’s] roles as co-chair was to roll the hot dogs in aluminum foil. I just love it. It really speaks to the spirit of this event. It’s fun and it’s creative.”
Though they’ll maintain the spirit of Hot Dog and Beer Night (and still serve hot dogs and beer), Mary Olive and John are putting their own creative spin by reimagining the Thursday night event as Tabriz Table. With its casual atmosphere and tickets at a lower price point, guests will be immersed in “Rivera’s Paris” at every turn, from the Mexican and Parisian street food to the live music. Even the fundraising will be grounded by tradition. As Tabriz was reportedly one of the first fundraisers in town to utilize a silent auction, the concept will return exclusively with AMFA experiences such as a class in the Wingate Art School or a private dinner in one of the galleries.
Tabriz Table embodies a dedication to the community that Ramirez notes is always at the heart of the event.
“As a free museum, we’re always looking for ways to give people the opportunity to to join us, to participate and not have costs necessarily be a barrier,” she says.
“We’re trying to make this event as approachable to as many people as humanly possible, while also, of course, raising funds,” Mary Olive adds. “I’m really glad we made the call to carry on in that spirit, because at the end of the day, that is one of the most important things about it.”
In another nod to Tabriz events of the past, a portion of Thursday night’s fundraising will go toward acquiring new artwork for the museum.
“Every year there was a big fun gala, there was a year that is marked in our collection by a work of art,” Ramirez says.
Museum visitors can spot the evidence in galleries with works that include “Tabriz Fund” in the credit line, pieces like Andrew Wyeth’s “Snowflakes” and Lee Krasner’s “Earth #1” that were added to the collection by Tabriz proceeds.
“So much about what we do is about the here and now, but it’s also about making sure that the museum itself continues to move forward, and growth of the collection is a big part of that,” Ramirez says. “Anybody coming to Tabriz is not only supporting museum operations, they’re also helping to build the collection, which is really exciting.”
Saturday’s black-tie gala will put supporting museum operations front and center, featuring an elevated seated dinner, live auction and an original performance by Ballet Arkansas in collaboration with La Santa Cecilia.
Tabriz will again be a biennial event, meaning the proceeds raised by this year’s event will support both fiscal year 2025 and 2026 for AMFA. For John, this is key to the museum’s everyday accessibility.
“Most importantly, [Tabriz] keeps the whole experience free to the public,” he says.
“We are at this moment of growth, and we want to be sure that we are continuing to support the community with engaging programming,” says Ramirez, for whom this means every Arkansan, from toddlers to seniors.
Credit: Jason Masters
From weekend events for families to hosting world-class exhibits to simply being a place to socialize, AMFA already provides so much for central Arkansas, but it’s always looking forward.
“The proceeds from Tabriz will allow us to expand those programs and allow us to expand our statewide outreach,” Ramirez says. “We have Arkansas in our name because of our commitment to the state.”
Exhibits like “Rivera’s Paris” — the programming around which includes art talks, exclusive tours, themed menus and hands-on activities — are key to enriching AMFA’s relationship with its visitors.
“When we think about the importance of our big exhibition, we want the community to be so curious about it that they have to see it,” Ramirez says.
Diego Rivera is not only an important figure in art history, he’s also an important figure in AMFA’s history. His painting “Dos Mujeres” is arguably his most important cubist work, and its home has been here in Arkansas for more than half a century, all because of the work of AMFA.
“It was one of the first major works of art ever given to a public art museum in Arkansas,” Ramirez says. “And at the time it was given to the museum, Rivera was still alive and at the top of his game. I couldn’t even imagine what it was like when that painting came to Little Rock.”
Built around this iconic piece, “Rivera’s Paris” gives a window into a specific period of the artist’s life, but the Stephenses believe this particular collection is even more unique than what a first impression may imply.
“I think based on the name alone, people are going to assume that the exhibition is going to consist exclusively of pieces by Rivera, but it’s not,” Mary Olive says. “I love that they’re showcasing works by the artists that had such a profound impact on his career.”
Museum visitors will not only be able to view other works by Rivera during his time in Europe, but also the work that was inspired by and in conversation with his pieces.
“To see his art,” John says, “as well as the art of his contemporaries and people who inspired him and taught him different approaches and different methodologies, is a really cool thing, and I think it brings the whole Paris scene to life.”
“This exhibition is going to tell a different story of that work, and we’ll never be able to look at it the same way again,” Ramirez says.
Much like the event that supports it, Ramirez believes museums, and AMFA in particular, are about humanity.
“Museums offer us the greatest benefits in life, really connecting to other people and connecting to other places and ideas. And whether you want to take a deep dive into an artist’s world and understand their work, or you want to know how they made it or just walk through the galleries and absorb, museums are here for you.”
Cubism is about presenting objects from multiple perspectives at once, breaking them down to ultimately create something new. And it’s in that spirit that AMFA and Tabriz aim to honor the past while building toward a future — making a space for multiple perspectives, and creating something new that will connect the community for centuries to come.
Mary Olive’s Top 5 for 2025 at AMFA
Immersive Exhibit Programs & Events
“I think AMFA is so good at tying exhibitions to sort of every corner of the museum.” Patrons can currently engage with the Rivera programs through lectures, Park Grill menu items and more.
Upcoming exhibits include “The Long View” from June 13 – Aug. 31 and “Architects of Being: Louise Nevelson and Esphyr Slobodkina” from Oct. 3 – Jan. 11.
“Dr. Suess’s Cat in the Hat”
This can’t-miss AMFA Children’s Theatre presentation is coming just in time for spring break on March 15-29.
Eclectic Concert Series
“AMFA does a great job with its concert series engaging a wide variety of artists ranging from jazz to blues, folk and more.”
Upcoming shows include Cyrille Aimée on March 27, The Love Light Orchestra featuring John Németh on April 10 and Bab L’Bluz on May 1. Look for new dates to drop in May for the 2025-2026 season.
Wingate Art School Children’s Summer Classes
“Wingate Art School has a really amazing variety of summer classes where children study different media and, of course, make art. I will be signing our daughter up for one of those.”
AMFA Art Market
The museum will launch the AMFA Art Market in September, a new experience that will offer patrons the chance to purchase works from a juried selection.
TABRIZ
Benefiting the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts
April 3 & 5 | AMFA
Info: arkmfa.org/tabriz
PHOTOGRAPHY
JASON MASTERS
SHOT ON LOCATION AT
ARKANSAS MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS